The present invention relates to an improvement concerning welding devices, and in particular MIG welding devices, which facilitate a desired axial indexing or movement of a welding tip of the welding device as a spindle of the welding device rotates.
A wide variety of machinery exists throughout the world which is exposed to abrasive and stressful conditions. Large work loads, open and corrosive conditions and usage contribute to wearing down of surfaces, such as planar surfaces, bearing surfaces and/or cylindrical surfaces. Once these surfaces become sufficiently worn, they typically require refurbishing and/or repair. For large planar surfaces, bearing surfaces or cylindrical surfaces, there is often a need to build-up material prior to machining the surface back to its original configuration or dimensions. Various attempts have been made to provide automated machinery for depositing a welding bead on an inner bore or other surface, in a uniform manner, to facilitate refurbishing and/or repair of that surface.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings and drawbacks associated with the prior art refurbishing and/or repair machinery.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an axial indexing mechanism which facilitates axial movement of the spindle, of a welding device, as the spindle rotates relative to a housing to facilitate formation of a semispherical or semihelical welding bead.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a control system which facilitates accurate control of the degree or amount of axial movement of the spindle, with respect to the housing, as the spindle rotates during operation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a latch which facilitates disengagement of the axial indexing or movement mechanism of the spindle, with respect to the housing, so that the spindle can rotate without any axial movement being induced thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary welding device that is easy to set up and provides a very uniform build-up of material on the desired surface, typically a cylindrical surface.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a rotary welding device with controllable axial movement which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture but is durable, dependable and relatively easy to use.
The present invention relates to a welding device for facilitating deposit of a welding bead on a surface to be built-up, the welding device comprising a housing accommodating a rotatable spindle therein; a drive mechanism coupled to the spindle to facilitate rotation thereof; and a second rider circumscribing the spindle and the second rider, when in the operative mode, inducing axial movement of the spindle, with respect to the housing, as the spindle rotates with respect to the housing.
The present invention also relates to a method of facilitating deposit of a welding bead on a surface to be built-up, the method comprising the steps of: accommodating a rotatable spindle within a housing; coupling the spindle to a drive mechanism for supplying rotational drive thereto and facilitate rotation thereof; and circumscribing the spindle with a second rider, and providing the second rider with both an operative mode and an inoperative mode, and the second rider, when in the operative mode, inducing axial movement of the spindle with respect to the housing as the spindle rotates with respect to the housing; and the second rider, when in the inoperative mode, sliding axially with respect to the spindle without inducing any axial movement of the spindle, with respect to the housing, as the spindle rotates with respect to the housing.